Amendment 13 - Industry Day.pdf

This document is a presentation for the Near Earth Orbit Network (NEON) Small Business Administration (SMBA) Draft Request for Proposal (RFP) Amendment 13 Industry Day in September 2025. The acquisition approach involves awarding up to two contracts, each with two phases, with the intent to down-select to one contract after Phase 1. Phase 1 will cover Design through Engineering Test Unit (ETU) Completion on a Cost Plus basis for Flight Models (FM) 1-4, while Phase 2 will focus on Production of Flight Models 1-8 on a Fixed Price contract.

The timeline includes Draft RFP Responses due on October 6, 2025, with the RFP Release planned for the end of Q1 CY 2026. The Phase 1 Award is targeted for Q2 CY 2027, and the Phase 2 RFP Release is scheduled for CY 2028, approximately 18 months after the Phase 1 Award. The government is prioritizing performance over process, maintaining a lower-risk tolerance for heritage-equivalent performance and mission-critical capabilities while reducing inspection points, documentation requirements, and relying more on industry partner standard processes. Technical specifications are mature, with minimal changes planned for frequency bands, heritage channels, hyperspectral, and RFI detection requirements.